Josh Johnson (QB) - Pro Football Rumors

Bengals Waive Pryor, Who Will Convert To WR

June 18th, 2015 at 8:15pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

8:15pm: Pryor is converting to wide receiver, according to his agent, Drew Rosenhaus (Twitter link via Pro Football Talk). Teams will be interested in Pryor’s services, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, as he has ideal size (6-foot-4, 233 pounds) and speed (sub-4.4 40-yard dash) to succeed at wideout.

Making Pryor’s position switch all the more interesting is a comment he made when he signed with the Bengals last month.

“If I can’t play quarterback, I can’t play football – I’m pretty much done,” Pryor said, per ESPN’s Coley Harvey (Twitter link).

Nevertheless, Pryor will try his hand at a new spot in hopes of extending his football career.

4:26pm: The Bengals have waived quarterback Terrelle Pryor, according to Paul Dehner Jr. of the Cincinnati Enquirer (via Twitter).

The 25-year-old Pryor joined the Bengals, his fourth team, in May and was hoping to win a backup job behind Andy Dalton. However, the ex-Ohio State star lost out to A.J. McCarron and Josh Johnson. With Pryor out of the picture, McCarron is likely to be Dalton’s primary backup, tweets Dehner.

Pryor has appeared in 14 games – all with the Raiders – since his NFL career began in 2011, combining for 12 touchdowns (nine passing, three rushing) and 12 interceptions.

Minor Moves: Thursday

April 2nd, 2015 at 4:37pm CST by Luke Adams

We’ll round up today’s minor transactions from around the NFL in this space, with any additional moves listed at the top of the page throughout the afternoon and evening:

Raiders defensive back Neiko Thorpe has signed his exclusive right free agent tender, placing him back under contract, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.

Earlier updates:

The Bengals have brought back former backup signal-caller Josh Johnson, signing him to a new contract today, according to the team (Twitter link). Johnson, who visited Cincinnati today, spent time with the 49ers in 2014 after serving as Andy Dalton‘s backup for the Bengals in 2013.
Zeke Motta, a 2013 seventh-rounder who played sparingly for the Falcons in his rookie year, was cut by Atlanta today, according to a team release. Matta missed the entire 2014 campaign due to a neck injury, and will have to pass through waivers before becoming a free agent.
Safety Anthony Walters, who played in 37 regular season contests during four seasons with the Bears, has been cut, the team announced today (via Twitter). Walters had primarily contributed on special teams for Chicago. Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune (Twitter link) wonders if Walters’ release opens up the door for the team to re-sign Danny McCray, which had been previously considered.
After adding Mike Kafka to their roster, the Vikings have parted ways with another quarterback, formally announcing that they’ve waived Pat Devlin. The ex-Dolphin had signed a futures contract with Minnesota after spending some time on the team’s practice squad in 2014.
Having visited Minnesota and Tampa Bay this week, tight end Emmanuel Ogbuehi will be signing with the Buccaneers, reports Matt Vensel of the Star Tribune (via Twitter). Ogbuehi, who spent time on the practice squads for the Ravens and Browns during the 2014 season, is getting a two-year deal, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
Former Miami Hurricanes linebacker Shayon Green has signed with the Steelers, according to PR rep Burt Lauten (via Twitter).

FA Notes: Ravens, Paysinger, Fins, Bengals

April 2nd, 2015 at 8:53am CST by Luke Adams

The Ravens have accumulated more compensatory draft picks than any other NFL team over the past two decades, and Peter King of TheMMQB.com notes (via Twitter) that the Matt Schaub signing this week is a good example of how the team does it. Schaub, who was cut by the Raiders, won’t count toward the compensatory draft pick formula, but former backup Tyrod Taylor, whose contract expired, will count toward that formula. In other words, by swapping out one backup QB for another, the club could net a seventh-round comp next year.

Here are a few more notes on free agency, including some updates on players who remain unsigned:

The Dolphins are hosting free agent linebacker Spencer Paysinger for a visit today, reports Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald (via Twitter). Paysinger, who has spent his first four NFL seasons with the Giants, was a regular contributor on defense in 2013, but returned to a backup and special teams role last season.
Quarterback Josh Johnson, who spent a good chunk of the 2014 season with the 49ers, is visiting the Bengals today, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (via Twitter). La Canfora notes that Johnson’s athleticism and experience in different offensive systems should bode well for his chances of signing with Cincinnati or another team.
As shown by their apparent interest in veteran guard Dan Connolly, the Buccaneers haven’t given up on the idea of signing an interior offensive lineman in free agency, tweets Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune. It’s not clear yet if the Bucs will shift their focus to another veteran if they don’t land Connolly, or if they’ll simply wait and address the spot in the draft.
Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times wonders if the NFL’s decision to move up a key free agency date from June 1 to May 12 will affect the Seahawks‘ pursuit of a veteran center.

Minor Moves: Tuesday

October 21st, 2014 at 5:14pm CST by Luke Adams

We’ll track today’s 53-man roster signings and cuts from around the NFL right here, adding the latest moves to the top of the list throughout the day….

The Seahawks claimed tight end Brett Brackett off waivers from the Titans, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (via Twitter).
The Saints signed guard/center Eric Olsen, according to Mike Triplett of ESPN.com (on Twitter). That could indicate that they’re preparing to be without center Jonathan Goodwin for some time.
The Browns cut Jonathan Krause from injured reserve, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (on Twitter).
The Seahawks cut tight end Rashaun Allen, according to Wilson (on Twitter).

Earlier updates:

Linebacker Marshall McFadden has replaced wideout Austin Pettis on the Rams‘ 53-man roster, tweets Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The move leaves two openings on St. Louis’ practice squad, so the team will likely add some new players there soon.
In what’s becoming a weekly ritual, the 49ers have re-signed quarterback Josh Johnson and released safety Bubba Ventrone, the team announced today (via Twitter). The team made the same pair of transactions last Tuesday, then re-signed Ventrone to replace Johnson later in the week.
Running back Antonio Andrews announced (via Twitter) that he has been promoted to the Titans‘ roster from their practice squad, filling the opening created yesterday when the team cut tight end Brett Brackett. Per Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com (Twitter link), Andrews had an offer to sign elsewhere, perhaps with the Bills, so the Titans made the move to avoid losing him.
The Browns have confirmed a move that was reported yesterday, announcing (via Twitter) that they’ve cut defensive lineman Jacobbi McDaniel. Tight end Gerell Robinson takes his spot on the team’s 53-man roster.

49ers Re-Sign Ventrone, Cut Josh Johnson

October 17th, 2014 at 1:50pm CST by Luke Adams

The carousel that is the 49ers’ 53rd roster spot continued to spin today, as the 49ers re-signed safety Bubba Ventrone to a one-year contract, cutting quarterback Josh Johnson to clear room (Twitter account). The Niners released Ventrone on Tuesday when they re-signed Johnson.

Johnson has been serving as the 49ers’ third quarterback, but with both Colin Kaepernick and Blaine Gabbert healthy, he hasn’t needed to be active on game day, and now the team has gotten into the habit of removing him from the roster entirely on the weekend. The veteran signal-caller will likely be re-signed next week for practice.

Assuming he’s active on Sunday against the Broncos, Ventrone, who turns 28 next week, will likely play exclusively on special teams, so it wasn’t absolutely necessary for the Villanova product to be with the team this week during practice.

Minor Moves: Tuesday

October 14th, 2014 at 5:49pm CST by Luke Adams

Tuesday is typically a busy in-season day for NFL transactions, so we expect to add several more moves from around the league to this list as the day goes on. For now, here are the the day’s minor transactions relating to clubs’ 53-man rosters:

For now, to replace linebacker Danny Trevathan, the Broncos will promote Shaquil Barrett from their practice squad, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.
The Seahawks have tweaked the back of their roster, according to Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times, who reports (via Twitter) that the team has cut safety Steven Terrell and signed defensive end Greg Scruggs.
With the roster opening created by Ventrone’s release (noted below), the 49ers have re-signed quarterback Josh Johnson, who was cut a few days ago, the club announced today in a press release.

Earlier updates:

The Browns have placed defensive lineman Armonty Bryant on injured reserve, signing another defensive lineman, Sione Fua, to take his spot on the roster, the team announced today (Twitter link). Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports first reported (via Twitter) that Fua was signing with the Browns.
The Ravens have a roster exemption for previously-suspended safety Will Hill, which will last until next Monday, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.com. By that point, Baltimore will have to either waive Hill or cut someone else on the roster, creating space for the safety.
A week after re-signing him to their active roster, the 49ers have released defensive back and special-teamer Bubba Ventrone, a source tells Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link). Ventrone spent last season on San Francisco’s roster, but was cut prior to the 2014 regular season.
Having lost cornerback Trumaine McBride during Sunday night’s game against the Eagles, the Giants are set to promote cornerback Chandler Fenner from their practice squad to the active roster, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.com. Fenner, cut in July by Seattle, has shuffled back and forth between New York’s practice squad and active roster since the regular season began.

49ers Re-Sign Osgood, Cut Josh Johnson

October 10th, 2014 at 3:57pm CST by Luke Adams

As expected, the 49ers have once again re-signed wideout and special-teamer Kassim Osgood to their 53-man roster, according to the league’s transactions wire. To make room for Osgood, the club cut third-string quarterback Josh Johnson.

Osgood has signed four different contracts with the Niners since March, including two since the season got underway. Earlier this week, the 34-year-old was released once again to clear a spot for safety Bubba Ventrone, another special teams ace, but head coach Jim Harbaugh indicated that he expected Osgood to be re-signed quickly.

Johnson, who was behind Colin Kaepernick and Blaine Gabbert on the quarterback depth chart, has been shuffled on and off the Niners’ roster multiple times this year as well. Most recently, he was cut on September 20 and re-signed three days later. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see him make his way back onto San Francisco’s 53-man roster sometime in the near future, though as long as the club’s top two signal-callers stay healthy, there shouldn’t be much urgency.

49ers Re-Sign Josh Johnson

September 23rd, 2014 at 3:10pm CST by Luke Adams

The 49ers have re-added a quarterback to their roster, announcing today (via Twitter) that they’ve re-signed Josh Johnson to a one-year contract. To make room on the 53-man roster for Johnson, the club has waived tight end Asante Cleveland, meaning the team completed the opposite series of moves it made three days ago, when Cleveland was signed and Johnson was cut.

Johnson, who saw most of his NFL playing time in Tampa Bay from 2009 to 2011, currently sits third on the 49ers’ depth chart behind Colin Kaepernick and Blaine Gabbert. However, given how Gabbert looked in the preseason, there’s a real possibility that Johnson could see the field if anything were to happen to Kaepernick this year.

Cleveland will likely land back on the Niners’ practice squad if he clears waivers, but for now, with Vernon Davis on the mend, the rookie tight end isn’t needed on the active roster.

Minor Moves: Saturday

September 20th, 2014 at 4:53pm CST by Ben Levine

We’ll keep tabs on all of Saturday’s NFL transactions here, with the latest moves at the top…

The Lions have cut veteran wide receiver Kevin Ogletree, reports Field Yates of ESPN (via Twitter). The move opened up room for practice squad cornerback Mohammed Seisay, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press.
The Raiders have signed linebacker Bojay Filomeatu from their practice squad, reports Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter).
The 49ers have promoted tight end Asante Cleveland to their active roster, reports Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com (via Twitter). The team released quarterback Josh Johnson to make room.
The Dolphins have signed safety Brandian Ross from their practice squad to the active roster, reports James Walker of ESPN (via Twitter). They released defensive lineman Bruce Gaston to make room.
The Ravens have cut wide receiver Deonte Thompson, and signed running back Fitzgerald Toussaint from their practice squad, according to the team’s official Twitter page.

Earlier updates:

The Vikings announced that they have signed wide receiver Charles Johnson from the Browns practice squad. Johnson will take Adrian Peterson‘s spot on the roster.
The Lions will sign cornerback Mohammed Seisay from their practice squad, tweets Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press.
Joe Person of The Charlotte Observer tweets that the Panthers have promoted running back Darrin Reaves from their practice squad to take Greg Hardy‘s roster spot.
The Cowboys announced (via Twitter) that the team has waived defensive end Lavar Edwards and signed linebacker Keith Smith from the practice squad. Edwards, a former fourth-round pick, was acquired from the Titans in late August. He’s only played 15 snaps in two games this season. Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com tweets that the release does not void the trade with Tennessee, noting that the Cowboys have to give up a seventh-rounder if Edwards stays on the roster for ten games. However, Archer also notes that Edwards will likely be back.
The Jaguars have signed wide receiver Kerry Taylor from their practice squad, the team announced. To make room, the team waived rookie safety Craig Loston. Taylor has 22 career receptions for 229 yards and one touchdown. Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union tweets that Taylor is injury-insurance for wideouts Cecil Shorts and Allen Hurns.

NFC Notes: Mankins, Eagles, 49ers, Bears

August 29th, 2014 at 3:53pm CST by Zachary Links

At his introductory press conference, new Buccaneers guard Logan Mankins admitted that he has a lot of work to do (via Jeff Howe of The Boston Herald). “It’s going to be tough, we have a week before the first game and I’m going to take it in stride. I’ve got all weekend to try and get down some of the mental part of it and then all next week at practice. I’m sure the guys are going to help me as much as possible and I’m going to try my best to be up to speed with those guys, I don’t know if it will happen, but I’m shooting for it,” said the veteran. More from around the NFL:

Having recently been cut by the Bills, quarterback Thad Lewis had an audition for the Eagles, according to Tom Pelissero of USA Today (via Twitter).
Blaine Gabbert looked shaky in the 49ers‘ preseason finale while Josh Johnson has looked good over the last few weeks, which could prompt the club to carry three quarterbacks, writes Cam Inman of the Mercury News. Gabbert, who has a $2MM guaranteed salary, won’t be going anywhere, but SF might want to have Johnson in place as a failsafe.
49ers coach Jim Harbaugh sounds intent on keeping quarterback Johnson in addition to Gabbert, writes Cam Inman of the Bay Area News Group. However, he won’t commit to putting Johnson ahead of Gabbert on the depth chart, despite the former first-round pick’s struggles.
After giving himself a “B+” grade for his Thursday night performance, Michael Sam believes that he’ll be on an NFL roster somewhere, even if it’s not with the Rams, writes Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. “I’m very confident,” Sam said. “I’m going to sleep really well tonight and I’m very confident I’m going to be on a team, the Rams or any other team in the NFL.”
Adam L. Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times believes that Matthew Mulligan will have a spot on the Bears‘ roster as the tight end behind Martellus Bennett and Dante Rosario thanks to his blocking ability. The injury to Zach Miller opened the door for Mulligan, who is a solid blocker.
The Bears have done their homework on long snappers and Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune (on Twitter) hears that they worked out four long snappers last week. Currently, Brandon Hartson has the job in Chicago.
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones confirmed that he has met face-to-face with Dez Bryant, something he doesn’t do with every player who is seeking a new deal, writes Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com. “We have had good visits,” Jones said. “It’s a little different to be talking directly, for me to be talking directly with the player. I know of two that I’ve spent a lot of time directly talking with in some pretty sensitive areas when you’re talking about money. We all understand what that means. One of them Michael Irvin. He asked me to induct him into the Hall of Fame later and Emmitt Smith, he asked me to induct him into the Hall of Fame later. Troy [Aikman] always had Leigh Steinberg there, but we kind of talked straight in there together.”